Month: October 2015

Being gay is not seen as an issue for most people in todays society, it might therefore suggest that we are starting to become a more homonormitive society. Being gay is now seen as normal. However, a simpler explanation might be found in the neoliberal ideals our society has which have become apart of our own individual ideologies. This ideology is that it is only okay if you keep it to your self and do not interact in a social dimension, this is due to the fact that neoliberalism tries to individualizes people an there sexuality. People might therefore have the impression that a person’s sexuality is their own and has nothing to do with society or the influence of other people.

One of the interviewees was a little shocked at the idea that Ashley Cole might be gay ‘I wouldn’t think he was gay, because he doesn’t follow the same stereotype of a gay person’, but it didn’t seem to change their opinion of him. They did not appear to link the idea of him being gay to his profession, but instead focused on his relationship with Cheryl Cole ‘I would still have the same opinion of him as I would be for, because the fact that he cheated on his wife would make me react more than the fact that he came out as gay’.

When discussing Stephen Fry the interviews where more focused on his choice in partner than his career or achievements. However some interviewees made a clear attempt to be politically correct ‘so what if he married a young person’ and ‘I don’t care it doesn’t really bother me’ to the questions of what they thought about his sexuality. They brought up his marriage immediately, as if young people feel obliged to state how socially acceptable being gay is before they say anything else about a person.

Foucault has suggested that a person who openly discuss sexuality which is non heterosexual ‘places himself to a certain extent outside the reach of power, he upsets established law’, this view might have been true during the 1980s, however as seen within the interviews a persons sexuality is seen as a personal thing. Society and law therefore has no right to comment on a person’s sexuality.

All of the interviewees made a point of ‘not caring’ about either Stephen Fry’s or Ashley Cole’s sexuality. Many said, “It doesn’t effect my life,” this mature and cautious response highlights the fact that young people are more politically aware and want to achieve equal rights within society.

A lot of people who are against homosexuality see it as a pathology that has to be abolished or at least censored. The main two reasons brought to the table are: religion and their incapacity of being “productive”. The first case is more striking in less culturally diverse countries because most of those haven’t even legalized gay marriage yet. Therefore, most of the people from those kind of countries don’t try to be politically correct and they usually just express their disgust regarding this subject.

On the other hand, Lee Edelman had a theory related to the second reason called the “reproductive futurity”, arguing that procreation is imperatively necessary in a capitalist society which is based on production in order to assure the persistency of the capitalist machine.

The adverting is a general consumption, as there are posters everywhere around the university. The bombardment of advertising can be seen every where, for example bus stops are prime advertising locations, along with on the sides of buses. This is due to the vast amount of public transportation around Coventry, which allows for a large audience to be able to see the advertising. This might be why a lot of the bus adverts are more often than not to do with film and cinema, they can be used to advertise newly released films.

A lot of the TV and film I watch, I watch at home (my flat), either on the TV, DVD or on my Xbox. Due to the need of a TV license, my TV is in my room. This means that instead of the act of watching TV feeling like a communal activity, it feels like an individual activity. That being said some businesses do have TV’s which display programs like the rolling news, this might be to accommodate business people who might need to keep up with the news for their jobs. It helps people who are on the go all day and might not get the opportunity to sit down and watch the news.

Online sites such as Facebook can be accessed anywhere, anytime, thanks to the use of smart phones. We are constantly connected to the internet and social media through our phones now. That being said they can also be accessed in the more traditional ways via a computer or laptop, however the versatility of the phone and the fact that they are considerably smaller makes it far more easier to accesses on the go.

What factors effect my choice of media text?

There are many factors, some are decide by me, and most are forms of media that are simply there. For example advertising is something which is all around us, we even see it on YouTube advertising. However there are some forms of advertising that I might try to look for specifically, such as film trailers.

The main factor for me is enjoyment, I watch films I think I’m going to enjoy and the same is for TV and books. This being said genre can help influence this, as like many of the people in society I make a prior judgment on weather or not I will enjoy the film by the genre. For example I don’t usually enjoy spy movies, this is one of the reasons I have never watched Mission Impossible because I don’t think I would enjoy it. However when a spy movie has a comical aspect like in ‘A man from U.N.C.L.E’ or ‘Kings men’ I find that I do enjoy watching it. This suggests that by making hybrid genres or adding new or different elements to existing genres allows it to gain a wider audience.

There are some forms of media which I have to read, watch or research, due to the course that I am on. For example text books, might not be something I enjoy reading but it is something I need to read, therefore in the professional world sometimes we don’t have a choice over what media we are exposed to.

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When we think about how me interact with music on a day to day basis, a lot of the time we don’t see the impact that it has on us and our emotional state. We might say things like oh I only listen to music when I’m in the car, or when I’m doing other things. Its something on in the background, be most of the time we’re not really listening to it. The same can be said for tv’s now days, its switched on and your watching it, but your not really seeing it because your on your phone or computer at the same time.

Our taste in music changes over time, I would be the first to admit that S-Club 7 is no longer on my top ten. Some times when you talk to people and they say they listen to one particular genre, it seams kind of silly. Due to the fact that many bands and artists are influenced by different artists and genres, can we really say that there is a genre of music which has no other influence other than itself.

I would have to say that my taste in music can vary from Ella Fitzgerald to Slipknot, there is not a lot I won’t listen to. Of course there are things I enjoy more than others and I find it depends what mood I’m in as to what I want to listen to.

There are many things advertising uses to promote a emotional response to their advert, for example the use of cinematography, but most often the music used within an advert will help to create that desired response. This principle can by put towards the making of our own videos. If I was to talk about a emotional topic which I found resinated with my self, I wouldn’t pair that music with a cheery pop tune. Instead I might pair it with either an inspirational or sad tune, depending on what message I wanted to portray.

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This is a collection of different media which interest me, and in some cases infuriates me. There are many different genres which interest me in a wide variety of media outlets from the traditional such as tv, music and film, to also include computer games. Which understandably has been a growingly successful media outlet since the 20th century.

I have found that if a media product is not predictable and doesn’t completely follow the codes and conventions placed upon it by the use of genre I find it more enjoyable. This might be a view shared by others as well as my self and if so it might suggest that the codes and convention which we used so willingly to categories the media products in order to target audiences is in fact holding us back in the production of new and inventive forms more media. But if this is the case then why is it that the traditional genres are still very successful? Is it because as human beings we strive to live in a state of perpetual balance between the familiar and the strange?

Marmozets- This image was taken of the band in order to promote their album ‘The Weird and the wonderful’This is a female fronted band whose music I find can be safely placed within the genre of rock music. The presence of a female lead while now days is not uncommon, the genre of rock music has traditionally associated with male singers and in the past female artists within this genre found it difficult to break though in this male dominated culture.http://localsoundfocus.com/marmozets-debut-album-the-weird-and-wonderful-marmozets-is-out-now/ – MarmozetsDaughter- while they would not be a band I would usually listen to, the strong female vocals and the melodies are a nice contrast to some of the other music I listen to.http://www.paradigmagency.com/divisions/artist/bio/2049 daughterElla Fitzgerald- Equivalent to todays pop stardom, Ella Fitzgerald sang some of the most famous songs of the time and some are still relevant in todays culture.http://www.biography.com/people/ella-fitzgerald-9296210 – ella fitzgeraldAll time low are an american punk band. Their music is similar in genre and sound to that of Fall out boy and Blink 182. Two bands which saw great success and are still considered to be quite successful bands. The up beet melodies and song lyrics are a vast contrast to that of such as Daughter.https://www.wattpad.com/115342702-lyrics-and-songs-kids-in-the-dark~all-time-low – all time lowMonty Python were a successful comedy group who did a range of comic sketches on tv and went on to do at least four films which now are considered to be cult classics in the genre of comedy.https://lucien0maverick.wordpress.com/tag/monty-pythons-the-meaning-of-life/ – monty python and the holly grailThe avengers is a great example of how comic book heroes are being transformed in order to appeal to a wider audience of young children while also appealing to the adults who once read the comic books as children. In a way these films are a great family bonding experience.http://www.comicvine.com/forums/battles-7/the-avengers-vs-the-justice-league-1532004/ -the avengersThis film I have always found difficult to place into a particular genre and that is one of the reasons I like it. As the title suggests there are a lot of murders, however the way in which the director has made the film means that ascetically the images look delicate instead of sinister and the music continues the feeling of delicate innocents through out the film.http://www.travelgeekery.com/following-perfume-murderer-grasse/ – perfume the story of a murderWhile this film is one of the newest released among this collection of media, the way in which it uses the dialog between the two main characters is used to create a comical aspect makes it more refreshing than the traditional spy films.http://www.manfromuncle.org/ the man from uncleThis Xbox game is a RPG genre game. I like the ability to explore the world and the story line which accompanies the use of RPG games . Fable which is produced by Lionhead studios has gone on to release a number of successful sequels of the game and has even gone on to re-release the original on the newer generations of the computer consoles.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fable_(video_game) fableI also do some of my own amateur photography.This one is a photo I took of my dog, I liked the colour contrast in this photographI enjoy experimenting with angles and close shots along with my landscapes. I think you are able to pick up on some of the more intricate detail which you would miss from a wider shot. As you can see from this photograph the skull print detail can be easily distinguished from the orange body panels.Due to my location I am able to take lots of wide landscape shoots of the surrounding area. These landscapes look very dramatic when it has been snowing or in the case of this photograph the hight of summer.This was a photo opportunity I could not pass up. I love the contrasting colours. In a more philosophical aspect this photograph reminds me of ‘the light at the end of the tunnel’ with out it having the harshness it would have it was in black and wight.

My cabinet of curiosities, contains media from a wide variety based within different formats. In one way this is typical of the majority of people through out the world, this is due to the fact that the we are subjected to a media world which is made up of mullet layers, not simple physical but also digital. For example if I watch ad advert of a car some times the you are able to ‘Shazam’ the song and then gain further information of the product. Not only this but people are more and more likely to watch tv online or on the go. On the one hand it gives more power to the consumer they get to decide when and what they watch rather than relying upon the scheduling system surrounding most tv broadcasters.

Our first leisure activity that we completed was attending Coventry Transport Museum. It holds the largest publicly owned collection of British vehicles in the world. At a few stages in your walk round, you get asked to vote on what you would do or prefer in terms of transport for the past and the future. This is an easy and simple way to appeal to all audiences. At the end of the experience you can go in the 4D Land Speed Record Simulator. Although it is £5, this will highly appeal to teenagers and is a unique selling point for the museum.

As the museum is free for all general admission, the museum is aimed at all classes. It does cost for schools and they encourage education groups to come along as it is educational and fun for children.

We noted that at the museum, there were mainly an older generation with their grandchildren and men. As cars and History are thought of as typically male topics, we were unsurprised by this result. The older generation would be interested in the History of transport as it could hold an emotional stigma to their past. They are the opinion leaders and inflict their dominant response onto the grandchildren. If they talk about the museum in a positive way, their grandchildren are likely to conclude a similar response.

When looking at who would visit Coventry Cathedral it is clear that a certain demographic would only visit this place as a Christian site. Children understanding a religion that may be more enforced through their primary school education. However it means that people of all classes are welcomed inside for prayer. There may be a divide in how class is represented there but inside people are equal. According to the theorist Karl Marx says that “ as of a difference in wages the working class are constantly ruled by people of a higher class, making it difficult to improve their jobs and life prospects.”

What he says is true but within a church for people to visit it removes the boundaries of class from the equation, as money doesn’t change what people are inside the Cathedral.

The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum

The third activity we decided to do was to go to the Herbert Art Gallery. There were a mixture of ages within the gallery from 18 to 60, there were not many children, as seen in the previous two activities. One of the exhibitions we went to was ‘war games’ in which there was displayed a mixture of audio visual content along with interactive displays of children’s toys. While these displays, would appeal to young audiences the message behind them is quite poignant.

On the whole from an economic standpoint, we would suggest that these activities are open for all classes due to the fact that they are free. It has been suggested by media theorists that culture and taste is ‘made to stand in for class’, therefore we are not defined by economic standing. Therefore while economically the classes that attend these activities can be any one, the fact that they are actively pursuing cultural stimuli suggest that these activities can be more associated with a middle class psyche.

It is difficult to pick a specific genre; I enjoy watching different film genres, from sifi, fantasy, horror or teen coming of age. Along with other genres, the quality of the film should stand on its own merit with out relying upon an audience to simple enjoy watching it because it’s the same as another film they have seen. However admittedly the use of genre does allow an audience to identify a film and its ideas, though its codes and conventions. This can, on the one hand, limit the view of the audiences as they might look for films they already know they like, and so wont expand to look at other genres.

Family discords and feud, Works off disaster and things going wrong. There is always an issue. Interesting characters. Setting the scene, establishing shots of the location. One on one interview. Forced drama, sometime brought on by the producers. Set up chance encounters.

-Saturday night entertainment show:

Shiny floor shows. Energetic presenters.

Live audiences.

Recap of dramatic incidences of previous shows (x factor).

A prize of some kind.

Teaser to the next show.

More of a rigid format.

Trying to draw the audience back.

People feel a connection to the characters.

Audiences from personal relationships through these programs.

Task 4

The program makes a joke out of news program. It is funny, because it shows a harsh truth about the modern-day news media. It has become predictable. Is genre a bad thing? This suggests that the repetition of the codes and conventions seen in the news genre makes it uninteresting. However news is supposed to report not entertain. Do new programs need to change their format or if it still meets the demand of showing the news successfully is it fine the way it is?

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Us at the Coventry Party have observed the current economic climate of the UK economy and we believe that by raising minimum wage, this will ultimately lead Britain into a brighter future. We are proposing to increase minimum wage to £8 an hour by 2020. Along with our minimum wage increase, we would freeze income tax for the foreseeable future for the lowest earning in Britain. We would give companies a tax rebate when they sign up to become higher wage employers. This would allow them to also benefit from the increase wages by investing their money back into their company and therefore stimulating their local economy.

John Stewart Mill argues that wages determine the elasticity of supply, therefore they have to exceed the subsistence level. Because of the fact that capital is the main source of money for wages, there are only two possible situations which would determine wages to increase: increase in capital or decrease in the number of workers. When wages do rise, the supply of labour does the same. However, in this context, there is also competition among workers, fact that determines a decrease both in the minimum wage and in unemployment. One of Mill’s famous quotes regarding this situation is “demand for commodities is not demand for labourers”. In other words, when there is more income invested for wages and not for consumption, the employment rate increases. This results in the latter being in an inverse ratio to investment. The best part is that if the investment rate is high, the wage fund goes up, too, therefore witnessing economic progress.

In addition, Karl Marx’s opinion on this subject was that the source of all commodity values in capitalist society comes from the labour of the working class, the vast majority of people who live by selling their labour power.

An economic boost will lead to a considerable drop in the numbers of families in extreme poverty, as the income for a minimum wage will increase, providing families with more money for food and shelter. It will benefit people getting the raise in wage, as they are working but are finding it difficult to survive comfortably on the current minimum wage. It would also benefit the government, as they will not have to spend as much on welfare and benefits. Moreover, the supply and demand raise in the labour market will eventually encourage employers to create more work placements and opportunities.

In conclusion, we at the Coventry Party are confident that an increase in minimum wage will put Britain in a better economic standing for the conceivable future. We share Marx’s opinion that if the working class earned more, they would be able to contribute to society and local economies in a much more productive way. An increase in minimum wage will give society the boost it needs to respond to the pressures placed upon us by the European Union.

The film was made and produced in Russia in 1929. The film is done in black and white, with no dialogue. Which is reflective of the time in cinema, as it would have been during the early days of film, not long ago was the era of the silent film. It does have a sound track or accompaniment through out the film; it consists of a mixture of exciting and intense music. This can be clearly seen during the theater scene, it can be presumed that they have done this to emphasis the fact that it is about what the cameraman sees in cinema. And so it gives it from the perspective of the cameraman, and his commenting upon cinema at the time. For example we see the theater before anyone has come in and the empty seats begin to descend as if someone was sitting in them. It seems ghostly as the music plays a steady rhythm, which could be argued to represent the heartbeat of the cinema. Therefore we could suggest that it is the audience who brings the cinema to life, because if there were no audience of cinema then there would be no cinema.

There is a lack of a clear narrative within the film, while yes we follow the cameraman through the streets of a Russian town, if we look at the images being presented; there is no clear connection from one scene to the next. However this is where the use of music plays a vital role, as this is what gives an indication to the audience the direction of the film. For example the use of the orchestra in the introduction during the theater and the loud up beat tune, in contrast to the mundane humdrum ticking accompaniment previously gives the audience this impression that films are better than real life. This suggests that even in these early stages of cinema and film, it was seen as a means to escape from reality, which can be understandable of the time. However this idea of contrasting real life and film is brought up through out the film, as the contrasting images of homelessness and men sleeping out side, against a woman sleeping in a large bed, demonstrates the gap between the haves and the have not’s.

The way in which they have chosen to show the woman also goes some way in demonstrating how women are represented during this time. The shots we have of her are usually of one part of her body or another but never with her face at the same time. For example when she is led in bed the audience is presented images of her arms and hands, this fragmentation of the female form, as suggested by Laura Mulvey, turns the women into an object. Therefore the male audience is free to objectify them, for their own pleasure. This is a very negative approach to this admittedly beautiful use of cinematography and lighting, it might be argued by some that displaying women in this way, is in fact empowering to women. It is difficult to say this for certain due to the time in which it was made, however given that it was made during the forefront of the modern-day cinema, it would be unlikely that many of the audience would of seen a women portrayed in such a way before. Therefore it could be argued that although the representation might be negative, the impact it might of had for discussing the image and potion of women in society would have been very important.

A theme through out this film as I have mentioned would be fantasy and reality, or the real and the surreal. It shows how as humans we try to find a way to escape from our reality by any means necessary, whether its simple through our own imagination or the imagination of someone else.